Future Beef Newsletter February 2025
Preparation for Calving
Factsheets | Pre-calving preparations | Calving & Post-calving care | 'How to calve your cow' videos | Top Tips for February | The Beef Edge Podcast
Top Tips for February-1000x619.png)
Teagasc Future Beef webinars and factsheets
The Future Beef team hosted a two-part webinar series focused on strategies to manage cows before and after calving, and ensuring a successful and productive calving season (discussed below). These sessions provided valuable insights into key practices for improving calving outcomes and herd performance.
To complement the webinars, a series of detailed factsheets have been developed, offering practical tips and advice. These include the following and are available by clicking here;
▶ Body Condition Scoring (BCS) cows;
▶ Pre-Calving Minerals for Sucklers;
▶ Six Steps to Good Navel Care in Calves; and,
▶ Preventing Scour in Newborn Calves.
Night 1: Essential Pre-Calving Preparations for Suckler Farmers
The first webinar in our series focused on key pre-calving preparations to ensure a successful calving season and improve calf survival rates. Featuring Prof. David Kenny (Teagasc), Emma Sargent (MSD), and Ed Curtin (Future Beef farmer), this session provided actionable, science-backed tips to help farmers maximise herd productivity and efficiency.
▶ How to Use Body Condition Scoring (BCS) for Easier Calving
Maintaining cows in optimal body condition at calving reduces calving difficulties, improves fertility, and helps cows return to heat faster, supporting a more efficient breeding cycle.
▶ How to Use Pre-Calving Minerals for Stronger Calves
Supplementing cows with the right pre-calving minerals ensures calves are born strong, lively, and are quick to stand, nurse, and gain essential immunity from colostrum, which is critical for their survival and growth.
▶ How to Protect Calves with Pre-Calving Vaccines
Using pre-calving vaccines significantly reduces the risk of calf scour and respiratory diseases, helping to lower calf mortality rates, vet costs, and time spent managing sick animals. A new cryptosporidium vaccine is now available and farmers should explore its benefits.
By implementing these pre-calving management strategies, suckler farmers can improve herd health, reduce losses, and enhance farm profitability.
Watch the full webinar replay below for expert insights and step-by-step guidance.
Night 2: Calving and Post-Calving Management for Suckler Cows
The second webinar provided essential guidance on calving management and the post-calving care of both suckler cows and calves.
Key topics included knowing when to intervene during calving, managing newborn calves to reduce illness, and ensuring cows are ready to conceive again for a 365-day calving interval. It featured John Donlon (Teagasc), Dr Doreen Corridon (NCBC) and Michael Biggins (Future Beef farmer). Highlights included the following:
Calving the Suckler Cow
Recognising when and how to intervene during difficult calvings was discussed. The webinar also identified signs of calving complications and preparing the calving shed with essential equipment. Tips were also shared on managing cows after a hard calving to ensure recovery and productivity.
Calf Care and Health
This covered reducing the risk of common illnesses such as scour and navel ill in newborn calves. Tips for handling sick calves, including proper hydration and the use of effective products to minimise the impact of illness, were also discussed.
Getting the Cow Back in Calf
Strategies for achieving a 365-day calving interval, including post-calving nutrition, breeding decisions, and fertility management were looked at. Synchronisation options were explored, with insights from Michael Biggins' hands-on experience. By implementing these best practices, suckler farmers can improve herd health, reduce calf mortality, and enhance the profitability of their operations.
You can watch the webinar back below.
How-To Videos: When to Intervene, Managing Difficult Calvings, and Calf Resuscitation
Successful calving management is essential for improving calf survival rates and reducing calving difficulties in suckler herds. Teagasc has released three how-to videos covering when to intervene during calving, how to manage difficult calvings, and calf resuscitation techniques. These step-by-step guides help farmers develop essential skills to ensure safer deliveries and healthier outcomes for both cows and calves.
How to Recognise When to Intervene During Calving
How to Manage a Difficult Calving
How to Resuscitate a Calf
The Beef Edge podcast
Keep up to date on all things beef with The Beef Edge podcast weekly.
